University's new solar system

The 222 panels are placed across the roof of the main building at the City campus and will cut the university’s annual emissions by over 20 tonnes of CO2.

The installation is the result of an ongoing collaboration between the university and Brighton Energy Co-op (BEC), a collective that builds community-funded solar systems across Sussex.

The panels have a capacity of just under 60kW and will generate over 50,000 kWh of electricity a year.

Abigail Dombey, the university’s Environmental Manager, said: “We’re delighted to be working again with BEC on another solar project. At a time of reducing budgets, we can still install new solar panels and increase onsite renewable energy generation.”

Brighton Energy Co-Op have leased the airspace above the roofs of the university’s City campus for 20 years. BEC paid for the installation through their shareholders’ investment in renewable energy.

Now the panels are in place, the university will pay BEC for the electricity generated by the panels, saving approximately a third of the price of grid electricity, providing security against fluctuating energy costs and reducing the university’s carbon footprint.

During the 20 years of the lease, the panels are expected to save the university over £85,000 and over 400 tonnes of carbon. After the lease expires, the university will take ownership of the panels at no cost and will fully benefit from the free electricity.

This project now brings the university’s total onsite solar capacity to just under 500kW – including 270kW owned by Brighton Energy Co-operative – and over 1800 panels.

The combined solar systems will provide 3% of the university’s overall electricity demand and reduce its CO₂ emissions by over 155 tonnes a year.

The project partner, Brighton Energy-Cooperative, raises funds from the local community to install their solar PV arrays and have now amassed a portfolio of over 1.7 megawatt of installed capacity in the south east.